ORIGINAL FRENCH ARTICLE: Malus
by Maurice Ulrich’s Daily Ticket
Translated Wednesday 11 November 2009, by Henry Crapo
and reviewed byWho ever said that the Socialist Party doesn’t have ideas? At any rate, Segolène Royal, she has ideas, yes she does.
In a long interview in the Parisien she recalls, for example, that she had suggested during the presidential campaign that school children make little French flags. "Oh, that’s a pretty flag, Kevin, but it doesn’t bear much resemblance." "It’s the flag of Bullshistan, that’s where I was born."
Be careful, Kevin, I’m going to tell Mr. Besson [1].
In the same interview Segolène Royal is concerned, even very worried, by the suffering experienced at the workplace. But she has an idea: set up a system of bonus/malus. "The enterprises that invest in improving working conditions will receive a bonus, while others that do not will get a malus." Now there’s a modern idea that recalls the old practice of collective bargaining: the extension of workers’ rights, or the increase in the number of workplace inspectors. A veritable hope for the future.
One could even do as one does for rights to pollute, create a market trading in rights to over-exploit. I buy your bonus to offset my malus. Or think: I am making super-profits, that’s well worth a little malus [2]. But look: Segolène Royal made a really bad suggestion. How much of a malus for a suicide? And when multiplied by 25? [3]
[1] Eric Besson, minister of immigration and national identity
[2] This expression recalls the old saying attributed to the French king Henry IV: "Paris vaut bien une messe" ("Paris is well worth a Mass") See paragraph headed "Conversion" in the Wikipedia article.
[3] A reference to the recent wave of suicides at France Telecom.